New Mexico mother faces murder charge after 10-year-old shoots teen in music dispute

Elaina Gómez-Villeda, 40, appeared in court on Monday afternoon to answer a murder charge.

Prosecutors also filed counts for child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The district attorney's office requested that she remain in custody before trial. In a motion, prosecutors stated that Gómez-Villeda had no major criminal history but acted with extreme disregard for the safety of others.

Court records show she did not have an attorney as of the filing. Authorities filed the charges on Sunday, one day after the shooting occurred.

Police say the investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed against the 10-year-old boy. The police department is coordinating with the district attorney's office and state authorities given the child's age.

The criminal complaint details that Gómez-Villeda knocked on her neighbors' door on Saturday to ask them to lower the music volume. The neighbor said the music was not loud. Gómez-Villeda returned to her apartment.

Minutes later, the neighbor and her teenage daughter went outside to install a security camera above their entrance. They had recently moved into the unit. The neighbor told police, through an interpreter, that Gómez-Villeda started a new argument about the music. The dispute turned physical when the daughter intervened.

Gómez-Villeda allegedly told her son to go inside and bring his gun. The boy returned with the firearm and fired one shot. The teenage girl died from the wound. Police said Gómez-Villeda took her son inside her apartment and closed the door. She called her husband and then dialed 911 to report the incident.

Gómez-Villeda later told investigators that she was attacked by the neighbors after complaining about the noise. A search of her apartment revealed other firearms that were not properly secured. A revolver found outside the unit was listed in a national database as stolen.